Delmarva Land & Litter Vision & Goals

Delmarva farmers and their agri-business partners are respected stewards of the land, guardians of

natural resources and champions of the rural cultural heritage in the Chesapeake Bay watershed:

Together with our partners we commit to provide catalytic leadership to accomplish the following

goals by 2025:

Delmarva agriculture is regionally neutral in importing and exporting nutrients, and

wherever possible, nutrients are recycled locally to support sustainable agricultural

operations; and

Nutrients are utilized in farming operations without negative environmental impacts.

Allen Davis

Andrew McLean, Co-Chair

Beth Sise

Bill Brown

Bobby Hutchison, Co-Chair

Bob Frazee

Bob Monley

Bud Malone

Chip Bowling

Hans Schmidt

Jennifer Rhodes

Jim Hanson

Michael Phillips

Mike Twining

Paul Spies

Sean Jones

Foreword

This report outlines a new way forward for managing nutrient pollution associated with the storage,

transport and land application of poultry litter on the Delmarva Peninsula. It was developed by a self-

directed cadre of leaders which included grain producers, chicken growers, poultry integrators,

conservationists, academic partners; along with agribusiness, finance and service providers. We had the

honor and privilege of serving as the Co-Chairs of the leadership team that guided the project and

produced this report.

The new way forward we are recommending begins with a new

vision for the future; a future where a healthy and productive

Chesapeake Bay is underpinned by a vibrant and sustainable

agricultural economy in the watershed. Our vision does not force a

choice between these two outcomes; we have high confidence that

both can be achieved simultaneously.

Our report begins with a vision, because we believe that doing so

provides a way to refocus conversations from current challenges to desired outcomes; to reenergize and

strengthen agricultural, conservation and environmental collaboration and leadership in bay restoration

efforts; and to expand innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to agricultural land management that

deliver multiple solutions from the land.

In the future we envision, Delmarva farmers, and their agri-business partners, will deliver and be

rewarded, not only for producing high value food, feed and fiber, but also clean energy and ecosystem

services, such as clean water, flood control, nutrient recycling, carbon sequestration and provisioning of

habitat. By doing so, they will earn society’s respect as stewards of the land, guardians of natural

resources and champions of the rural cultural heritage in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Towards this end, and together with our partners, the Delmarva Land & Litter Work Group commits to

provide catalytic leadership to ensure the successful delivery of these multiple, high value solutions from

the land.

We invite all Chesapeake Bay stakeholders to join us in an epic collaborative effort to achieve these

outcomes.

Sincerely,

Bobby Hutchison, Co-Chair

Grain Producer

Cordova, Maryland

Andrew McLean, Co-Chair

Poultry Producer

Sudlersville, Maryland

“A healthy and

productive Chesapeake

Bay is underpinned by a

vibrant and sustainable

agricultural economy in

the watershed”

Table of Contents

Project Overview …..………………………………………………..………………………….. 1

Principal Findings…………………………………………………..………..…………………. 2

Barriers to Forward Progress………………………………………………………………….... 4

Win-Win Pathways………………………………………………………..……………………. 8

Recommendations……………………………….…………………………….…..……………. 9

Path Forward …..…..…..…..…..….…….……………..….……………….…………………..14

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………. 16

Project Leaders…………………………………………………………………………........... 17

References………………………………………………………………………………….….. 18

“In the Chesapeake

Bay watershed, all

sectors have a

responsibility and

moral obligation to

reduce nutrient

pollution”

Project Overview

Through the Delmarva Land and Litter Project, a

“kitchen cabinet” Work Group composed of a

diverse cross section of grain growers, poultry

producers and integrators, academic experts,

extension agents, along with conservation and

business partners, came together to assess

progress in managing nutrient pollution associated

with the storage, transport and land application of

poultry litter on the Delmarva Peninsula. One of

the group’s primary objectives was to broaden the

dialogue with producers and value chain stakeholders on ways to utilize manure

and poultry litter beyond what is needed to support crop production. The Work

Group’s mission was to review the “current state” of litter management and

identify economically viable agronomic, technological or market based strategies,

solutions and management models that can be deployed to abate agricultural

nutrient pollution and utilize poultry litter that can no longer be land applied on

phosphorous saturated soils.

The Work Group’s efforts build on previous work

completed under the Chesapeake Bay Manure

Management Project, a 2009-2010 initiative,

which culminated with the release of the report

“Animal Manure Management in the Chesapeake

Bay Watershed- New Opportunities to Meet

Nutrient Load Reduction Goals”1. That initiative

explored opportunities to harness emerging

technologies and markets that can transform

excess manure nutrients from animal agriculture

operations into value added by-products that

enhance net farm income and offset costs of

containing or treating waste streams that cause

environmental problems. A critical focus was put

towards identifying ways manure could be

managed to help meet environmental goals while

simultaneously improving the farmers’ bottom

lines. A primary finding of the project was that

while there were no “silver bullet” solutions for managing animal manure and

litter, there were a number of components and collateral programs which, if better

1

integrated, could help meet the nutrient reduction targets that were being

established through the federal total maximum daily load program under section

303 (d) of the Clean Water Act.

The Delmarva Land and Litter Project began with one-on-one and small group

listening sessions and information gathering interviews with chicken growers,

grain producers, dairy farmers, poultry integrators, bankers, government officials,

extension specialists, conservationists and value chain service providers. The

objectives of these interviews was to obtain views on progress to date in

addressing poultry litter related water quality challenges; surface fresh ideas for

managing surplus manure and litter; and determine best strategies and tactics for

engaging progressive leaders on solutions. Information gleaned from the

interviews helped inform the Work Group which formulated the findings and

recommendations outlined in this report.

Principal Findings

Federal and state reports confirm that substantial

progress has been made over the past five years in

reducing nutrient pollution associated with animal

agriculture operations. Aided by expanded soil testing,

greater attention to nutrient management planning, the

adoption of precision agriculture technologies,

equipment and practices, as well as the transport of

manure and litter away from areas with phosphorous

saturated soils, farmers have reduced nutrient loadings

to the Bay and its tributaries.2 However, much work

remains to be done if the ambitious pollution reduction

goals established under the EPA’s total maximum daily load program are to be

achieved.

“Farmers have

reduced nutrient

loadings to the

Bay and its

tributaries.

However, much

work remains to

be done”

2

“While the policies

and practices of the

past have produced

some positive results,

they will not meet

the needs of

tomorrow”

Based on our review of poultry litter land application and alternative use

strategies developed over the past five years, we have concluded that many of the

conclusions and recommendations in the 2010 “Animal Manure Management in

the Chesapeake Bay Watershed- New Opportunities to Meet Nutrient Load

Reduction Goals” report are still relevant and applicable today.

These and other findings we discerned through our work follow.

In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, all sectors have a

responsibility and moral obligation to reduce nutrient

pollution.

Land application of animal manure and litter in support of

the nutrient needs for crop production remains the primary

method of managing manure in the Chesapeake Bay

Watershed. When litter can be land applied at proper

agronomic levels, this remains the most cost-effective and

technologically feasible method of managing manure.

In some areas, the long history and repeated application of manure and

other fertilizers on the Delmarva Peninsula has resulted in fields having

phosphorous levels in excess of levels needed for successful crop growth.

Soils saturated with excess phosphorous can increase nutrient runoff and

leaching to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

A number of technologies can recover nutrients and energy as value added

by-products from animal manure and poultry litter but most are still

expensive to implement and are in various stages of development.

Nutrient and energy technologies must be fully integrated and offer

economically viable solutions if they are to be commercially accepted by

either the farming or the investment community.

Successful alternatives to today’s land application of manure/poultry litter

must change the material to a more concentrated, lighter by-product that is

less costly to transport and apply (i.e. biochar), and/or convert the litter to

a higher value product for new markets and uses, including: energy (heat,

liquid fuels, electricity), nutrient products (mineral ash, organic fertilizers,

compost), recycled material for bedding, or sterile ingredients for feed.

Since the technologies for producing these value added products are not

mature (or widespread), the operation and maintenance requirements for

new technology waste-treatment systems are critical, and are often well

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beyond the skill set available at the farm level. Hence, there is a growing

need within the animal agriculture sector to have full service providers

available if the technology is to be deployed appropriately.

Progress in land application of manure and poultry litter shows that new

techniques can not only benefit crop yields, but can also make more

efficient use of nutrients applied and therefore minimize nutrient loss.

Research data continues to reinforce the fact that with advancements in

precision agriculture equipment and technology, “nutrient use efficiency”

for plants can be further improved with more precise applications, such as

accounting for point to point field variations, and/or the adoption of 4R

nutrient stewardship techniques—right source, right rate, right time and

right place.

Government and market incentives to offset investments, costs of

maintenance of existing and new technology systems, and marketing of

manure and litter byproducts are needed in order to enable agricultural

producers to achieve pollution reduction goals while remaining

economically viable in the long-term.

Despite regulatory concerns, moderate growth of the poultry industry

continues on the Peninsula. A trend to more organic production, larger

houses with larger animals is emerging.3

Barriers to Forward Progress

Over the course of the project, we identified a number of barriers that are

impeding increased adoption of practices and technologies that can add to

agricultural nutrient pollution. Chief among these are:

Fear and Erosion in Trust

Incomplete and/or outdated data documenting the scope, scale and location of

poultry related nutrient pollution and the proliferation of inconsistent or

nonaligned federal and state agricultural nutrient pollution regulations have driven

many farmers to believe that politics rather than sound science are driving land

management policy decisions. Many feel that the significant progress they have

achieved over the past decade in controlling erosion, reducing inputs, and

managing litter to mitigate environmental impacts, has not been recognized or

given appropriate credit. Farmers and growers have a proud tradition of being

stewards of the land. They are frustrated that their positive contribution to the

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environment is not viewed more positively by environmentalists and some policy

makers. On the positive side, consensus appears to be growing among

environmental stakeholders in the watershed that sustainably managed farms are

far better for the Bay than commercial land development.

Incomplete Data & Geographic Characterization

Ongoing concern about nutrient levels across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed has

led many to believe that a better approach is needed to quantify nutrient levels,

identify areas of excess phosphorous concentration and to find ways of achieving

mass balance. While most are in agreement that mass balance calculations are the

key to managing nutrients, additional research and analysis work is needed to help

the Delmarva Peninsula evolve to become regionally neutral in importing and

exporting nutrients.

Of significant concern and importance is the

accuracy of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s model

and estimates of the amount of phosphorous coming

from the poultry industry. A widely held industry

view is that current data being modeled does not

accurately reflect the number of birds or the amount

of poultry litter that is being produced, and therefore

misrepresents the actual concentration of phosphorus

on the Delmarva Peninsula. It also does not capture

and factor the benefits of conservation best

management practices that are being voluntarily

adopted by producers. Fortunately, the Chesapeake Bay Program recognizes the

weaknesses of the current model and recently approved a series of

recommendations, developed by a team of state agriculture department, Land

Grant University and poultry industry representatives, designed to better estimate

poultry litter production on the Peninsula. It is our understanding that EPA plans

to begin incorporating these new estimates into the Chesapeake Bay Program

model beginning in 2016. Like all models, the Chesapeake Bay model is limited

by the quality and availability of the data. For this reason, it is incumbent on

producers to provide quality data so their conservation and nutrient reduction

contributions can be counted.

In site-specific areas or at the farm level, approved nutrient management plans,

together with soil phosphorous levels, are used to determine application rates.

Unfortunately, verified data is not readily available on a regional basis to

determine how much and how efficiently litter can be land applied locally, and

5

whether poultry litter requires redistribution and transport to areas in need of

nutrients to achieve the regional balance.

Slow Evolution of Alternative Use Technologies

Over the past five years, a variety of alternative technologies have been evaluated

for converting manure and litter into value added products. The categories of

greatest potential and possible net return on investment include:

nutrient use (organic fertilizer, compost, biochar etc.);

energy (biogas, heating oil, electricity, heating/cooling applications); and

water re-use and management (flushing, irrigation, animal watering

needs).

In the nutrient use arena, Perdue built a large-scale facility in

Seaford, Delaware to capture and recycle nutrients from

poultry litter. While the AgriRecycle facility has

demonstrated its capability of producing a commercial

fertilizer product, the facility has been unable to operate in a

way to take advantage of its full production capacity and be

economically viable.

In the manure-to-energy arena, scale matters. We found that

the trend that is emerging for alternative uses of poultry litter

is that larger projects tend to be better matched for

technologies that generate electricity that can be sold into the

grid, while smaller scale projects (i.e. farm scale) are better suited for

technologies which can meet the heating needs of poultry houses. Figure 1 shows

the location and energy by-product of the demonstration projects previously

tested, planned for installation or operating today in the Chesapeake Bay

Watershed.

MANURE TO ENERGY OPERATIONS

Location Farm-Technology Supplier Energy

Recovery/Byproduct 1-Dorchester County, Maryland Murphy Farm – BHSL house heat/cooling 2-Lititz, Pennsylvania Flintrock Farm – Enginuity house heat 3-Milford, Pennsylvania Mac Curtis Farm – Total Energy house heat 4- Port Republic, Virginia Riverhill Farms – LEI Bio-Burner house heat 5-Lancaster, Pennsylvania Earl Zimmerman – Total Energy house heat 6-Strasburg, Pennsylvania Mark Rohrer – Global Refuel house heat 7-Wardensville, West Virginia Frye Poultry – Coaltec Gasifier house heat>biochar 8-Ft Seybert, West Virginia Mike Weaver Farm – Global Refuel house heat 9-Pocomoke City, Maryland Millennium Farms – Planet Found AE 100 KW elec gen 10-Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Hillandale Farms – Energy Works 3.25 MW elec gen Figure 1

6 3

“Technology

continues to develop

slowly and is

emerging based on

economies of scale

and return on

investment”

“On-farm project

demonstrations, progress

reports and on-site visits

remain powerful learning

experiences for farmers”

Significantly, farm scale projects in the watershed

have been sponsored and supported with strong

collaboration, and stakeholder funding from the

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, USDA,

nonprofit organizations and key landowners. Without

this financial support, the emergence and

advancement of these technologies for on-farm

poultry applications would not be possible.

Today, multiple technology vendors are competing

with different systems designed to meet house heating

needs at poultry farms, and displace propane use. Through the dry heat offered by

these systems, projected improvements in bird health and feed conversion rates

may be realized.

Few anaerobic digestion (AD) processes have been advanced for treating poultry

litter, as these processes are more typically employed on dairy farms where

storage and handling of wetter forms of manure is routine. One project worth

noting is the Maryland grant funded effort at Millennium Farms in Pocomoke

City. Since nutrients are not destroyed in the digestion process, this system hopes

to capture energy and extract phosphorous, leaving the residual nitrogen and

potassium to be safely recycled on local farmland.

Our bottom line conclusion: technology continues to develop slowly and is

emerging based on economies of scale and return on investment.

Inadequate Investments in Research, Demonstration and

Monitoring

Capturing the steep learning curve in alternative uses of

manure and litter requires thorough monitoring and

credible third party involvement. Extracting valuable

information during any demonstration project is very

important and is more credible when the data provided

is farm scale and is not provided solely by the vendor. It

is also helpful when the academic community, the

network of regulatory entities, and all critical

stakeholders work closely together to get a complete data set that is deemed

important. Unfortunately, little of this type of collaboration is happening today on

Delmarva, especially with regard to production oriented research in high-yield

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“Rules governing state

manure and litter

transport assistance

are not uniform

creating a complicated

maze of bureaucratic

obstacles for

transporting litter”

environments that contribute to higher nutrient removal rates from cropping

systems.

Today’s reality of basic and applied research funding doesn’t promote or focus

development along a continuum (i.e. from lab or bench scale testing through a

pilot scale to full scale on-farm demonstrations). Yet, on-farm project

demonstrations, progress reports and on-site visits remain

powerful learning experiences for farmers. Unfortunately, the

avenues for communicating and managing this information are

not widespread. One institution that is attempting to bring

more information about manure management techniques is the

University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL) – through its Poultry

Learning Center newsletter and on line programs. Lacking a

formal clearinghouse in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed,

several manure-to-energy projects will be evaluated with the

help of the Maryland Finance Center.4 The Center plans to

document technical, environmental and financial feasibility of

these projects and will post results on the UNL websites.

Regulatory Incoherence

Within Delmarva, growers and haulers are aware that regulation and policy are

not uniform from state to state, even though they all operate in the same region.

For example, within the region, the number of days litter piles must be covered

varies from 14-90 days depending on the size of the operation and the state that

you are in.

Unfortunately the nutrient management planning requirements, as well as

eligibility requirements and rules governing state manure and litter transport

assistance are not uniform, thus creating a complicated maze of bureaucratic

obstacles for responsible land application of poultry litter. The net effect of non-

uniform and changing regulatory environments is financial uncertainty and

unnecessary complexity for grain farmers, poultry growers, litter haulers, and

integrators in managing nutrients associated with poultry production.

Win-Win Pathways for Agriculture and the Bay

Despite the significant progress that farmers and the poultry industry have

achieved to date in reducing pollution from poultry litter on the Delmarva

Peninsula, we believe that more must be done to meet the nutrient reduction

targets that have been established for the agricultural sector. To achieve these

goals, producers, industry leaders, value chain and academic partners, as well as

8 3

“We believe that a new

way forward is needed for

addressing water quality

challenges from animal

agriculture operations”

government officials need to work smarter.

Strengthened and improved communication,

coordination and collaboration amongst these

stakeholders are critically needed. While the policies

and practices of the past have produced some positive

results, they will not meet the needs of tomorrow,

where an ever growing population in the watershed

will further threaten the economic viability of the

agriculture sector, and the multiple economic and

environmental contributions it provides.

The Delmarva Peninsula is a unique region and ecosystem defined in large part by

its agriculture economy, and the environmental and aquatic attributes of the bay

and its tributaries. To improve the delivery of environmental and economic values

from the land, we recommend moving away from “silo management”, where

jurisdictions operate independently and manage for singular objectives. A new

forum is needed for collaboration; one where public and private sector

stakeholders committed to addressing nutrient pollution from animal agriculture

operations can work across county, state and watershed boundaries and design

and deploy better integrated and more uniform policies,

programs and projects. In short, we believe that a new

way forward is needed for addressing water quality

challenges from animal agriculture operations. The new

way forward that we are recommending embraces

integrated and landscape scale strategies for managing

nutrients, and utilizes economic incentives in the form of

ecosystem service payments to compensate farmers for

the environmental services they generate on their

working farms.

Recommendations

As members of the Delmarva Land and Litter Work Group, we recommend that

efforts to address nutrient pollution associated with poultry production on the

Delmarva Peninsula should remain focused primarily along two pathways:

a) Responsible land application of animal manure and litter; and

b) Alternative uses and markets for manure/poultry litter.

In support of these efforts we have identified five major recommendations for the

consideration of policy makers, government officials, farmers, chicken growers,

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“The new model we are

recommending is less top-

down regulatory driven

and more bottom-up

stakeholder led”

poultry integrators, agribusiness value chain partners, universities,

conservationists and environmentalists, other Chesapeake Bay stakeholders and

land management project funders. If implemented, we believe that significant

progress could be achieved in meeting the nutrient reduction goals that have been

established for the agricultural sector. The end result would be pathways for land

management that will improve the health and productivity of agriculture and the

Bay, while strengthening the economy that preserves and protects the region’s

rural cultural heritage.

1. Create and Support a Landscape Scale, Multi-Stakeholder

Leadership Platform for Addressing Agricultural Nutrient

Pollution

Across the country a new model is emerging for managing agricultural

landscapes. Common characteristics of this model include efforts to implement

landscape-scale solutions; the forming and empowerment of

multi-stakeholder action teams and partnerships; the

harmonization of policy frameworks; the establishment of

financial rewards for stewardship of ecosystem services;

energizing and coordinating research; and transforming and

modernizing information networks.

The new model we are recommending is less top-down

regulatory driven and more bottom-up stakeholder led. It

acknowledges the reality that farmers must plan and manage land sustainably to

meet economic, social and environmental objectives. Under this model, coalitions

composed of farmers, land managers, scientists, environmentalists and regulators

work together to forge consensus on integrated policies, practices and projects at a

landscape scale that will result in land being sustainably managed to produce

food, feed, fiber, and energy while enhancing biodiversity, improving water

quality and protecting and improving critical environmental resources.

Support for this type of public-private stewardship partnership model is growing,

as evidenced in the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, where a new Regional

Conservation Partnership Program was established to support conservation

projects designed by local partners. Of particular importance to us, the

Chesapeake Bay Watershed is one of eight critical conservation areas established

under the program. While the management model we envision would benefit from

direct government support, private sector endorsement and financial investments

will be required.

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Proposed Action: We propose that farm, agribusiness, environmental, academic

and government leaders involved in animal manure and poultry litter management

come together to participate in a dialogue around how such a new model might

work on Delmarva, along with how it could be formed, resourced, supported and

replicated in other areas. The initial areas of focus and deliverables for the

dialogue should include:

a vision and mission statement;

guiding principles to facilitate the effective functioning of the coalition;

a set of desired economic, environmental and social outcomes;

initiatives that can produce win-win outcomes for agriculture and the bay;

mechanisms for sharing information, creating centralized and searchable

databases and inventories of programs for addressing manure and litter

challenges;

the identification of common barriers and ways to collaborate more

effectively in planning and delivering services;

methods and mechanisms for monitoring success and measuring progress;

and

arrangements for funding and management support services.

We invite all stakeholders who share our vision and desired outcomes to join us in

this dialogue and exploration of solutions that can be delivered from the land.

2. Invest in Mass Balance Research and Analysis

An ongoing integrated research program that uses validated “on the ground” and

regularly updated data and proven methodologies are critically needed if we are to

understand nutrient levels and pathways within Delmarva.

Proposed Action: We recommend that the land grant universities serving the

Delmarva Peninsula collaborate, in partnership with poultry integrators and other

stakeholders, in designing, implementing, and financing an ongoing integrated

research program to model nutrients at all levels. Such an effort might begin at the

county level, factoring up-to-date data on nutrient uses by crops grown, chemical

fertilizer usage, poultry production with litter/nutrient estimates and a geographic

11

overlay of phosphorous saturated soils that would restrict land application. While

data acquisition to support this research is necessary, it must be done in a way that

preserves confidentiality as producers compete against their neighbors for yields,

quality, markets and the price they receive for the commodities they produce.

The results of this research must be updated annually and distributed to farmers

and modelers so that the Bay model and farm practices can evolve together.

Updated mass balance analyses would show how much potential “surplus” litter

is available for an alternative use and indicate the kind and scale of technology

that should be encouraged. For some areas it may be better to encourage

redistribution of litter, while other areas may require larger scale alternative use

technologies.

3. Support and Fund a Virtual Poultry Nutrient Management

Resource and Demonstration Program

As was confirmed in the 2010 Animal Manure Management

in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed report, there are many

nutrient reduction technologies and systems in various stages

of development in the watershed. Many technology providers

are offering partial solutions, and while some of those claims

have technical merit, they are usually not substantiated in a

farm environment or have not qualified with “manure”

feedstock. In addition, the large majority of solution

providers do not provide a fully integrated solution for the

farm – an important attribute for developing an economical

solution.

This finding still holds today and reaffirms the need for an objective, third party

evaluation support system where new technologies and integrated solutions sets

can be “piloted”, and data relative to technical and economic feasibility can be

centrally gathered for use by producers and lending agencies.

Proposed Actions:

Establish a center of excellence on the Delmarva Peninsula for ongoing

nutrient management support, staffed by technical experts, practitioners,

engineers and researchers. The center will support and shepherd regional

demonstration of alternative use and precision agriculture technologies.

Site visits and technical exchanges coordinated by the center will be third

party credible, routine and cost effective.

Establish a clearinghouse program for information and learning so that

knowledge is readily accessible and past lessons learned are leveraged.

12

Utilize a public/private sector funding mechanism to support the

clearinghouse and demonstration programs for pilot scale deployment of

manure and litter technologies.

4. Standardize Regulations for Manure and Litter Storage,

Transport and Use

Throughout our information gathering phase of this project, we consistently heard

from farmers, poultry producers and litter haulers that lack of uniformity in

eligibility requirements and rules governing state manure and litter transport

assistance programs on Delmarva were a major challenge in relocating litter to

areas where its high nutrient value could be utilized without impacting water

quality. The following recommendations are offered to help streamline and

standardize programs, thereby facilitating the transport of litter away from areas

with phosphorous saturated soils.

Proposed Action: We recommend the Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and

Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture work with a multi-stakeholder

leadership platform in evaluating the benefits of harmonizing programs or

establishing and jointly funding a regional manure and litter transport, storage and

use program. Key areas of focus for this examination should include ways to:

Adopt a goal of continuous improvement in nutrient use efficiency to

encourage proper use of nutrients and less loss to the environment.

Improve uniformity of regulations and work to eliminate different

regulations across the region (state to state) for storing, transporting and

using manure and poultry litter.

Incentivize and fund precision application practices, technologies and

equipment that can improve the placement and timing of nutrient

applications.

Simplify data collection and streamline transport programs.

Provide indemnification protection for those who properly store, transport

and apply manure and poultry litter.

Encourage common biosecurity measures to reduce risk of contamination

and the spreading of disease when litter is moved from individual farms to

centralized collection facilities.

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Allow for in-field storage through the establishment of best management

practices for constructing and locating piles.

5. Create and fund financing mechanisms that support bundled

technologies

Because most on-farm or community scale alternative use technologies for

manure and litter remain in a pilot scale phase of development, the need still

exists for public and private sector programs to finance the deployment of

bundled technologies and processes that deliver both nutrient reduction and

energy recovery services along with value added end products. Towards this end,

we recommend the following initiatives be undertaken.

Proposed Actions:

Find and establish financing mechanisms (e.g. cost sharing, grants,

commodity check-offs, low interest loan and loan guarantee programs) for

advancing improved manure and litter solutions involving land application

and alternative use of manure and litter.

Prioritize competitive research funding, practice application and extension

work supporting bundled technologies that concentrate and deploy

nutrients effectively and are fully integrated into systems that link

processes, byproducts, income and benefits for the farmer.

Amend agricultural conservation programs to allow equipment that

incorporates litter into the soil to be eligible for cost sharing.

Leverage interest and generate supporting funds from industry.

Develop an educational program on the value of litter to encourage its use

in areas where it could be used without causing nutrient pollution.

Analyze appropriate scale of technologies based on development of well-

vetted environmental and economic considerations.

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Path Forward

Through our work together exploring new ways to abate pollution associated with

the storage, transport and land application of poultry litter on the Delmarva

Peninsula, we have come to appreciate the reality that environmental, economic,

energy and quality of life goals are all interconnected. Rather than pursuing each

separately using our own individual lenses to assess options and measure

progress, a better way forward would be for our communities to come together,

forge consensus on the future we seek, and collaborate in actions to achieve

shared goals. Maintaining a healthy bay and a vibrant agricultural economy in

ways that support both will require a mammoth undertaking characterized by

fresh thinking, a willingness to experiment with new approaches and the

formation of trust relationships with communities that for decades have too often

pursued win-lose, rather than win-win strategies. Aided by advancements in

technology and our commitment to the stewardship and wise management of our

natural resources, we are prepared, in a subsequent phase of work, to provide

catalytic leadership in solving poultry related nutrient pollution problems on

Delmarva. We invite other partners to join us in addressing this epic challenge.

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Acknowledgments

The Delmarva Land & Litter Work Group is indebted to the following

organizations, companies and agencies for their frank comments and

thoughtful recommendations. We appreciate both their candor and their sincere

desire to create and nurture win-win pathways for agriculture and the Bay.

A Allen Harim; Amick; C Centennial Farms; Center for

Climate and Energy Solutions; Chesapeake Bay

Commission; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Chester River

Association; D Deerfield Farms; Delaware Department of

Agriculture; Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.; E Ellis Farms;

Environmental Integrity; F Fanttell Farms; H Hatcher

Communications; Hughes AgroEcology Center; Hughes

AgroEcology Poultry Work Group; J Jones Family Farm;

K Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment;

Kellogg Foundation; M Malone Poultry Consulting;

Maryland Agriculture Commission; Maryland Agriculture

Associates; Maryland Association of Soil Conservation

Districts; Maryland Chesapeake Bay Cabinet; Maryland

Department of Agriculture; Maryland Department of the

Environment; Maryland Farm Bureau Federation; Maryland

Grain Producers; Maryland League of Conservation Voters;

Maryland State Soil Conservation Committee; MidAtlantic

Farm Credit; Mountaire; P Perdue Farms Inc.; S

Sustainable Chesapeake T The Nature Conservancy; Tyson

Foods, Inc.; U University of Delaware; University of

Maryland; W Waterkeepers Chesapeake; WestRhode

Riverkeeper.

This self-directed project was funded through a grant from the Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment. The project was

facilitated and managed by Natural Resource Solutions, LLC, a conservation and natural resource management consulting and

coalition building firm, located in Lutherville, Maryland

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Delmarva Land and Litter Project Leaders

2014-2015

Chip Bowling

Grain Producer

Newburg, MD

Bill Brown

Poultry Extension Agent

Georgetown, DE

Allen Davis

Grain and Poultry Producer

Galena, MD

Ray Ellis

Ellis Farm Inc.

Millsboro, DE

Bob Frazee

MidAtlantic Farm Credit

Westminster, MD

Jim Hanson

Dept. of Ag. & Resource Economics

University of MD, College Park, MD

Bobby Hutchison

Grain Producer

Cordova, MD

Sean Jones

Milk Producer

Massey, MD

Drew Koslow

Choptank Riverkeeper

Easton, MD

Bud Malone

Poultry Consultant

Princess Anne, MD

Beth Sise

Mountaire Farms

Millsboro, DE

Andrew McLean

Poultry Producer

Sudlersville, MD

Bob Monley

Technical Consultant.

Lebanon, OH

Michael Phillips

Perdue Farms

Salisbury, MD

Jennifer Rhodes

Senior Extension Agent

Centreville, MD

Hans Schmidt

Grain Producer

Sudlersville, MD

Paul Spies

Chester River Association

Chestertown, MD

Mike Twining

Willard Agri-Service

Worton, MD

Ernie Shea (Facilitator)

Natural Resource Solutions

Lutherville, MD

Ethan Gilbert

Natural Resource Solutions

Lutherville, MD

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References

1Natural Resource Solutions. Animal Manure Management in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed,

New Opportunities to Meet Nutrient Load Reduction Goals. December 1, 2010.

http://www.25x25.org/storage/25x25/2014/cbll%20animal%20manure%20management%20in%

20the%20chesapeake%20bay%20watershed%20final%20121310.pdf.

2Chesapeake Bay Program:

Chesapeake Bay Program Reducing Phosphorus Pollution 1985-present.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/indicators/indicator/reducing_phosphorus_pollution.

Chesapeake Bay Program Reducing Nitrogen Pollution 1985-present.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/indicators/indicator/reducing_nitrogen_pollution.

Chesapeake Bay Program Reducing Sediment Pollutions 1985-present.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/indicators/indicator/reducing_sediment_pollution.

3Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. Delmarva Chicken Production Facts 1969-2014.

http://www.dpichicken.org/faq_facts/docs/Delmarva%20Chicken%20Production%20Facts%201

969-2014.pdf.

4University of Maryland, Environmental Finance Center.

http://efc.umd.edu/manuretoenergyinitiative.html#.VbaTB6RVhBc

Photo Credits

Chesapeake Bay Commission, Chesapeake Bay Program, Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., Jane

Thomas of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

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